Item holder

Abstract

To provide an article holder capable of maintaining positions of a base part and a holder body.SOLUTION: An article holder comprises a base part and a holder body. The base part includes an arrangement surface on which the holder body is arranged and two positioning guides. The holder body includes a support part for supporting an article and protruding parts corresponding to the positioning guides. The protruding parts protrude radially outward from a central axis. The central axis is aligned with a rotational axis set perpendicular to the arrangement surface, and the holder body and the base part are relatively rotatable about the rotational axis so as to be assembled and disassembled. Each positioning guide includes a space formed by a first guide surface and a second guide surface into which the corresponding protruding parts can be inserted. The first guide surface and the second guide surface regulate the position of the protruding parts in the extending direction of the rotational axis and in the relative rotational direction, respectively. The space is provided on a circumference of a virtual circle centered on the rotational axis. The base part includes an undetachable region that restricts movement of the protruding parts in the direction of the rotational axis, and a detachable region that does not restrict such movement.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article holder. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a production line where a predetermined amount of content is filled into bottle-shaped containers or other articles transported on a conveyor, or where lids are attached, an article holder that holds the article upright on the conveyor is used for each article. Patent Document 1 discloses an article holder that includes a core into which the article is inserted and a frame body in which the core is attached. In this article holder, a protrusion that abuts against the side wall of the frame body is formed on the bottom of the core, and the tip of the protrusion is pressed by a ball plunger attached to the side wall of the frame body, fixing the core in a mounted state within the frame body. The core is replaceable with respect to the frame body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-146275 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, the core is not restricted in the vertical direction relative to the frame to which it is attached, so there is a risk that the core may shift upward, making it difficult to stably hold the core and container. For this reason, there is a demand for an article holder that can easily assemble the core (also called the "holder main body") to a base part that includes a fixing member such as the frame, and that can further maintain the position after assembly.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an article holder in which the holder body can be easily assembled to the base portion and further the position can be maintained after assembly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An article holder according to one aspect of the present invention includes a base portion and a holder body. The base portion has a mounting surface and a fixing member provided on the mounting surface. The holder body is placed on the placement surface. The fixing member is composed of at least two positioning guides. The holder body has a support portion and a protrusion portion, the support portion supports an article, and the protrusion portion protrudes radially outward from a central axis at the bottom of the support portion and corresponds to each of the positioning guides. By aligning the central axis with a rotation axis set perpendicular to the placement surface and placing the holder body on the placement surface, and then rotating the holder body and the base part relative to each other around the rotation axis, the holder body can be assembled to the base part and disassembled to remove the holder body from the base part. The positioning guide has a space into which the corresponding protrusion can be inserted. The space is formed by including a first guide surface and a second guide surface. The first guide surface regulates the position of the protrusion in the direction in which the rotation axis extends during assembly. The second guide surface regulates the position of the protrusion in the relative rotation direction during assembly. The spaces of the positioning guides are provided on the circumference of an imaginary circle centered on the rotation axis. The base portion has a non-removable region and a removable region. The non-removable region is a region where the first guide surface restricts movement of the protrusion in the extension direction of the rotation shaft. The removable region is a region where the first guide surface does not restrict movement of the protrusion in the extension direction of the rotation shaft. The holder body is configured to be movable between the non-removable region and the removable region by the relative rotation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the holder body and the base portion can be easily assembled, and further, the positions after assembly can be maintained. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an article holder according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a holder main body that constitutes a part of the article holder. [Figure 3] 10 is a perspective view of a fixing member constituting a part of the article holder and a conveying plate the upper surface of which is a placement surface. FIG. [Figure 4] (A) is an oblique view of the first positioning guide constituting the fixing member provided on the placement surface, (B) is a partial oblique view of the vicinity of the first positioning guide, showing the state before the first protrusion provided on the holder main body is fixed to the first positioning guide, and (C) is an oblique view of the index plunger used to fix the first positioning guide and the first protrusion. [Figure 5] (A) is an oblique view of a positioning guide that constitutes a fixing member provided on the placement surface, (B) is a partial oblique view of the vicinity of the second positioning guide, showing the state before the second protrusion provided on the holder body is fixed to the second positioning guide, and (C) is an oblique view of a ball plunger used to fix the second positioning guide and the second protrusion. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are plan views of the above-mentioned article holder, in which (A) is a plan view in a fixed state in which the holder body is fixed to the base part by a fixing member, and (B) is a plan view in an unfixed state in which the holder body is not fixed to the base part by a fixing member. [Figure 7] 7 is a cross-sectional view of the holder body taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6(B). [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a side view of the article holder before assembly. [Figure 9] 10(A) to 10(C) are perspective views illustrating the assembly process of the article holder. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a plan view of the article holder, showing a detachable region where the holder body can be detached from the base portion and a non-detachable region where the holder body cannot be detached. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an article holder with another shape. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are plan views of article holders of other shapes, where (A) shows the article holder assembled to the base in the correct position relative to the conveying direction, and (B) shows the article holder assembled to the base in the wrong position relative to the conveying direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will now be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The article holder of the present embodiment described below can be used to hold and transport articles.

[0010] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, an example is given in which article holders 1A to 1D (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as article holder 1 unless otherwise distinguished) hold products (articles) 20A to 20D (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as product 20 unless otherwise distinguished) that have lids 22A to 22D (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as lid 22 unless otherwise distinguished) attached to containers 21A to 21D (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as container 21 unless otherwise distinguished) filled with contents. The material and shape of the container are not limited. Container 21 may be made of, for example, a highly rigid material such as plastic or glass, or may be made of a flexible resin film used for packaging bags (pouches) and the like. As an example of the shape, container 21 may be cylindrical containers 21A-21C with different diameters and heights as shown in FIGS. 11(A) to 11(C), or a substantially rectangular parallelepiped container 21D as shown in FIG. 11(D). Furthermore, the contents filled in container 21 are not limited. The contents may be liquids such as liquid detergent, shampoo, lotion, beverages, and liquid seasonings, as well as powders such as powder detergents, creams, gels, and the like. Typically, container 21 is provided with a filling opening through which the contents can be filled, and the filling opening also serves as a pouring outlet for dispensing the contents when the product is in use.

[0011] 11(A) to 11(E) each comprise a holder main body 2A to 2E (hereinafter sometimes referred to as holder main body 2 unless otherwise specified) and a member to be placed 600. The holder main body 2 is placed on the member to be placed 600. The article holders 1A to 1E can be constructed using the same member to be placed 600, and only the shapes of the support portions 3A to 3E (hereinafter sometimes referred to as support portion 3 unless otherwise specified) of the holder main bodies 2A to 2E are different.

[0012] The article holder 1 of this embodiment allows for easy assembly of the holder main body 2 and the object to be placed 600 including the base 6 (details of which will be described later), and further allows for maintaining the positions of the holder main body 2 and the base 6 after assembly. The article holder 1 can hold an article while maintaining its position. In addition to holding an article, the article holder of this embodiment can also be used to transport an article (container) on a floating linear transport device or on a conveyor, as in the application examples described later. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the article holder 1 is a transport body that not only holds articles but also transports articles on a floating linear transport device. In the following description, the "object to be placed 600" that constitutes part of the article holder 1 will be referred to as the "transport plate 600."

[0013] <Overall structure of the item holder> As shown in FIG. 1, the article holder 1A has a conveying plate 600 and a holder main body 2A. The conveying plate 600, which serves as a member to be placed on the holder main body 2A, has a conveying plate main body 60 and two fixing members, a first positioning guide 7 and a second positioning guide 8. The conveying plate main body 60 has an upper surface that serves as a placement surface 61 on which the holder main body 2A is placed, and a lower surface 62. The first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8 are fixedly placed on the placement surface 61. The placement surface 61 and the fixing members (the first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8) form the base 6. The conveying plate main body 60 provides the placement surface 61 on the base 6. The holder main body 2A is detachable from the base 6.

[0014] A rotation axis R perpendicular to the arrangement surface 61 is set with respect to the base 6, and serves as the center of rotation when the base 6 and the holder main body 2A are rotated relative to each other to assemble and disassemble. In this embodiment, the rotation axis R passes through the center of the conveying plate main body 60, which has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, a virtual circle C is set on a virtual plane perpendicular to the rotation axis R, with the rotation axis R as its center. Note that the virtual circle C is not limited to the size of the virtual circle shown in FIG. 6 and may also include concentric circles. In this embodiment, the third guide surfaces 73 and 83 (described later) of the two positioning guides 7 and 8, respectively, are approximately located on the same virtual circle C. Here, "approximately located" includes arranging the positioning guides 7 and 8 so that the third guide surfaces 73 and 83 are along the circumference of the virtual circle C, slightly spaced outward from the circumference of the virtual circle. This is to ensure that the positioning guides 7 and 8 and the protrusions 4 and 5 (described later), whose tip outer shapes are positioned on the circumference of the imaginary circle C, are in "substantially abutting" contact during assembly. Details of the assembly and disassembly methods will be described later.

[0015] The holder main body 2A has a support portion 3A and a first protrusion 4 and a second protrusion 5 corresponding to the two positioning guides 7 and 8, respectively. The support portion 3A supports an article. The first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 protrude radially outward from the central axis of the holder main body 2A on the bottom portion 31 of the support portion 3A. The central axis is perpendicular to the placement surface 61, and the outer shapes of the tip ends of the protrusions are on the circumference of the same imaginary circle C centered on the central axis. The central axis of the holder main body 2A coincides with the rotation axis R when the base portion 6 and the holder main body 2A are rotated relative to each other for assembly and disassembly. In this embodiment, the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical support portion 3A serves as the central axis.

[0016] With the holder main body 2A placed on the placement surface 61, the rotation axis R is aligned with the central axis, and the holder main body 2A and the base part 6 are rotated relatively around the rotation axis R (central axis) (hereinafter referred to as "relative rotation"), thereby easily assembling the holder main body 2A to the base part 6 and disassembling the holder main body 2A to remove it from the base part 6 (assembly and disassembly possible). The phrase "relative rotation" between the base part 6 and the holder main body 2A includes a case where one of the base part 6 and the holder main body 2A is fixed and the other is rotated, and a case where both are rotated.

[0017] In this embodiment, by changing the configuration of the support part 3 without changing the configuration of the protrusions of the holder body, multiple types of holder bodies 2 can be assembled and disassembled to and from the base part 6 (the positioning guide that constitutes the placement surface and fixing member). Therefore, only the holder body can be manufactured as a dedicated part corresponding to the article.

[0018] The placement surface is a horizontal surface, and may be the surface of a plate-like member, the upper surface of a conveying plate body used in a floating linear conveying device described later, or the surface of a conveyor. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the placement surface 61 is the upper surface of a conveying plate body 60 used in a floating linear conveying device. Additionally, the object providing the placement surface that constitutes part of the base does not have to be the conveying plate itself, but may be a plate-like member. A fixing member may be provided on the surface of the plate-like member to form a placed member on which the holder body is placed. An article holder formed by assembling the holder body to the placed member may be placed on a conveyor, or may be placed on the conveying plate itself in a floating linear conveying device. Furthermore, the object providing the placement surface may be a conveyor, and the surface of the conveyor may be the placement surface, and a fixing member may be provided on the surface of the conveyor to form the placed member.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1 , in the article holder 1, an X-axis and a Y-axis are set parallel to two orthogonal sides of a roughly rectangular, plate-like conveying plate main body 60, and a Z-axis is set perpendicular to the X-axis and Y-axis. The rotation axis R is parallel to the Z-axis direction. When holding an article, the article holder 1 is typically positioned such that the placement surface 61, which is the upper surface of the plate-like conveying plate main body 60, is parallel to a horizontal plane. In this specification, in the Z-axis direction of the article holder 1, the conveying plate 600 side is referred to as "bottom" and the holder main body 2 side is referred to as "top," and the Z-axis direction is sometimes referred to as the "up-down direction." The surface direction parallel to the XY plane is sometimes referred to as the "planar direction." The term "outward" refers to the direction away from the rotation axis R in the planar direction. Viewing the article holder 1 from above in the Z-axis direction is sometimes referred to as a planar view.

[0020] Details will be described later, but as shown in Figures 9(A) to (C), when assembling the article holder 1A, the holder main body 2A is placed on the placement surface 61 of the base part 6, and then, in a plan view, the holder main body 2A is slid on the placement surface 61 and rotated clockwise around the rotation axis R relative to the base part 6, thereby attaching the holder main body 2A to the base part 6. On the other hand, during disassembly, holder main body 2A is removed from base part 6 by sliding holder main body 2A on arrangement surface 61 and rotating holder main body 2A counterclockwise relative to base part 6 about rotation axis R. Note that during assembly and disassembly, base part 6 may be fixed and holder main body 2A may be rotated, or holder main body 2A may be fixed and base part 6 may be rotated, or both may be rotated. Note that the article holder may be configured so that holder main body 2A is attached to base part 6 by rotating holder main body 2A counterclockwise relative to base part 6 about rotation axis R, and removed from base part 6 by rotating it clockwise. The relative rotation direction of the base part 6 and the holder main body 2 during assembly and disassembly can be said to be the circumferential direction of the imaginary circle C.

[0021] Please refer to Figures 2, 3, 4(B) and 5(B). A fixing member for assembling the holder main body 2A is provided on the placement surface 61 of the base part 6. The fixing member is made up of a plurality of positioning guides, and in the example shown in Fig. 1, two positioning guides (a first positioning guide 7 and a second positioning guide 8) make up the fixing member. The holder body 2A has a first protrusion 4 and a second protrusion 5 corresponding to the first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8, respectively. The first positioning guide 7 has a first space S1. The second positioning guide 8 has a second space S2. By rotating the holder main body 2A relative to the base part 6, the first protrusion 4 is inserted into the first space S1, and the second protrusion 5 is inserted into the second space S2. 6(A) and 6(B), the first space S1 of the first positioning guide 7 and the second space S2 of the second positioning guide 8 are arranged on an imaginary circle C in a plan view. In addition, the outer shapes of the tip sides of the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 are arranged on the outer periphery of the imaginary circle C in a plan view.

[0022] 6(A), in the assembled article holder 1A, the movement of the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 in the extension direction of the rotation axis R (vertical direction, Z-axis direction) is restricted by the first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8, respectively. This state in which movement in the extension direction of the rotation axis R is restricted is a fixed state in which the holder main body 2A is fixed in its vertical position by the base part 6. 6(B), before assembly, the movement of the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 in the extension direction of the rotation axis R is not restricted by the first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8, and the holder main body 2A can be moved away from the base part 6 in the extension direction of the rotation axis R. This state in which the movement in the extension direction of the rotation axis R is not restricted is an unfixed state in which the position of the holder main body 2A in the extension direction of the rotation axis R is not fixed by the base part 6.

[0023] As shown in Figure 10, the base portion 6 has a removable region 12 in which the holder main body 2A can be moved in the extension direction of the rotation axis R (up and down), and a non-removable region 13 in which the holder main body 2A cannot be moved in the extension direction of the rotation axis R (up and down). When the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 of the holder main body 2A are in the removable region 12 (unfixed state), the first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8 do not overlap with the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 in a planar view. When the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 of the holder main body 2A are in the non-removable region 13 (fixed state), the first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8 do overlap with the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 in a planar view. The holder main body 2A is configured to rotate relatively to the base part 6 around the rotation axis R, and to be movable between the non-removable area 13 and the removable area 12. In Fig. 10, the removable area 12 is indicated by coarse dots, and the non-removable area 13 is indicated by dense dots. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0024] <Configuration of the base part> 1 and 3, the base unit 6 includes an arrangement surface 61, a first positioning guide 7, a second positioning guide 8, and an auxiliary member 11 serving as a restricting member. The first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8 are provided on the arrangement surface 61, which has a generally rectangular shape in plan view, facing each other near a pair of opposing corners of the generally rectangular shape in plan view, and are fixed onto the arrangement surface 61.

[0025] The first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8 position the holder main body 2A relative to the base part 6 during assembly, and maintain the positions of the holder main body 2 and base part 6 in the article holder 1A after assembly. When the holder main body 2A is attached to the base part 6 (during assembly), the first positioning guide 7 positions the first protrusion 4 of the holder main body 2A, and the second positioning guide 8 positions the second protrusion 5 of the holder main body 2A. In other words, the first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8 serve to guide the holder main body 2A so that it can move smoothly to the correct attachment position when attached to the base part 6. Furthermore, the first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8 play a role in maintaining the positions of the holder main body 2A and the base part 6 in the assembled article holder 1A at the correct positions.

[0026] The first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8 are provided at approximately equal intervals along the relative rotation direction (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "rotation direction"). The holder main body 2A has a plurality of protrusions (first protrusions 4 and second protrusions 5) corresponding to (in other words, paired with) the plurality of positioning guides (first positioning guide 7 and second positioning guide 8). The first protrusions 4 and second protrusions 5 are provided at approximately equal intervals along the rotation direction. Details will be described later, but the first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8 respectively regulate the positions of the paired first protrusion 4 and second protrusion 5 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) and the radial direction of the imaginary circle C (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the "radial direction").

[0027] In this embodiment, an example is given in which there are two pairs of positioning guides and protrusions, but there may be three or more pairs. From the viewpoint of effectively maintaining the positions of the base and the holder body after assembly, it is more preferable to combine a plurality of pairs of positioning guides and protrusions. With this configuration, the positions of the base and the holder body can be maintained at a plurality of locations, and misalignment of the base and the holder body after assembly can be effectively prevented. Furthermore, when multiple pairs of positioning guides and protrusions are provided, it is preferable that the multiple pairs be provided at approximately equal intervals along the rotation direction. With this configuration, the positions of the base and the holder body are maintained along the outer periphery as a whole, and the positions of the base and the holder body can be more reliably maintained after assembly.

[0028] The above "substantially equal intervals" means that a certain degree of spacing difference is allowed. The "spacing" is the angle formed by a line segment drawn for each pair connecting the center of the width of the pair along the approximate rotation direction of the pair in a plan view to the rotation axis R. The spacing difference is, for example, about 10°.

[0029] 3, from the viewpoint of handling and air evacuation during insertion of articles, which will be described later, a hole 63 penetrating the conveying plate body 60 in the thickness direction (Z-axis direction) may be provided in the center of the conveying plate body 60 (the center of the placement surface 61). Furthermore, a ring-shaped auxiliary member 11 serving as a regulating part is provided in the center of the conveying plate body 60 so as to surround the hole 63.

[0030] [First positioning guide] 4(A) and (B), 6(A), and 9(C), during assembly, a first positioning guide 7 constituting a part of the base part 6 positions the first protrusion 4 of the holder main body 2A. The first positioning guide 7 has a first guide surface 71, a second guide surface 72, and a third guide surface 73. In this embodiment, the first guide surface 71 is a flat guide surface that is spaced apart from and parallel to the placement surface 61, and regulates the position of the first protrusion 4 in the extension direction (Z-axis direction) of the rotation axis R during and after assembly. The second guide surface 72 is a substantially flat guide surface that is substantially parallel to the radial direction, and regulates the position of the first protrusion 4 in the rotational direction during and after assembly. The third guide surface 73 is a substantially flat guide surface that is substantially parallel to the rotational direction, and is a regulating portion that regulates the planar position of the holder main body 2A on the placement surface 61 during and after assembly, and more specifically, regulates the radial position of the first protrusion 4. When the holder main body 2A is attached to the base 6, the first guide surface 71 and the first surface 41 of the first protrusion 4 are in approximate contact with each other, the second guide surface 72 and the second surface 42 of the first protrusion 4 are in approximate contact with each other, and the third guide surface 73 and the third surface 43 of the first protrusion 4 are in approximate contact with each other. The first surface 41, the second surface 42, and the third surface 43 will be described later.

[0031] In this specification, "substantially abutting" includes a state of being in tight contact with each other and a state of being close to each other with a small gap. Typically, there is a play (a small gap) between the positioning guide and the protrusion so that the base part 6 and the holder main body 2 can rotate relative to each other. Therefore, there are cases where a part of the protrusion and a part of the positioning guide are in tight contact with each other, and cases where they are close to each other with a small gap. Note that "substantially abutting" the recess 32 and the auxiliary member 11 described below has the same meaning.

[0032] The first space S1 is formed by being surrounded by the first guide surface 71, the second guide surface 72, the third guide surface 73, and the arrangement surface 61. The first space S1 is a space into which the first protrusion 4 can be inserted.

[0033] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the base 6 may further include an index plunger 9 as a first fixing component. In the base 6, the first guide surface 71, the second guide surface 72, the third guide surface 73, and the placement surface 61 form a first space S1 into which the first protrusion 4 can be inserted. When the holder body 2 is assembled to the base 6, the first protrusion 4 and the first positioning guide 7 inserted into the first space S1 are fixed in the Z-axis direction by the index plunger 9 shown in FIG. 4C. As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 4C, when the knob 91 is lowered, the pin 92 protrudes from the index plunger 9. As shown in the right diagram, by pulling the knob 91 upward, the pin 92 moves in a direction retracting into the plunger. The position of the pin 92 can be fixed by rotating the knob 91. A hole 44 is provided in the first surface 41 of the first protrusion 4, and a pin 92 is fitted into the hole 44 and the knob 91 is rotated to fix the position of the pin 92, thereby fixing the first positioning guide 7 and the first protrusion 4 with the index plunger 9. The positions of the hole 44 and the index plunger 9 are determined so that the pin 92 protruding from the index plunger 9 can be inserted into the hole 44 when the first protrusion 4 is inserted into the first space S1 and the second surface 42 and the second guide surface 72 are in approximate contact with each other.

[0034] 3, holes 74 are provided through the first positioning guide 7 from the upper surface to the lower surface thereof, into which screws (bolts) for fastening the first positioning guide 7 to the base portion 6 are inserted.

[0035] In addition, in Figures 6(A) and (B), the thick dashed lines indicate the positions of the second guide surface 72 (second guide surface 82 described later) and the third guide surface 73 (third guide surface 83 described later) that contribute to the formation of the first space S1 (second space S2).

[0036] [Second positioning guide] 5(A) and (B), 6(A), and 9(C), during assembly, the second positioning guide 8, which constitutes part of the base 6, positions the second protrusion 5 of the holder main body 2A. The second positioning guide 8 has a first guide surface 81, a second guide surface 82, and a third guide surface 83.

[0037] The second space S2 is formed by being surrounded by the first guide surface 81, the second guide surface 82, the third guide surface 83, and the arrangement surface 61. The second space S2 is a space into which the second protrusion 5 can be inserted.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the base 6 may further include a ball plunger as a second fixing component. In the base 6, the first guide surface 81, the second guide surface 82, the third guide surface 83, and the placement surface 61 form a second space S2 into which the second protrusion 5 can be inserted. When the holder body 2A is attached to the base 6, the second protrusion 5 and the second positioning guide 8 inserted into the second space S2 are fixed in the Z-axis direction by the ball plunger 10 shown in FIG. 5C. As shown in FIG. 5C, the ball plunger 10 includes a ball 10a at its tip. The ball 10a is rotatable. The ball plunger 10 includes a spring as a biasing mechanism that biases the ball 10a in its longitudinal direction. As shown in the right diagram of FIG. 5C, a load is applied to the ball 10a in the longitudinal direction, compressing the internal spring and causing the ball 10a to sink into the plunger body. As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 5(C), when the load is released, the compression of the spring is released and the ball 10a protrudes from the plunger body. The elastic force of the spring allows the ball 10a to move back and forth within the plunger body, allowing it to reciprocate in the longitudinal direction. In FIG. 5(B), the ball plunger 10 is mounted on the second positioning guide 8 with its longitudinal direction parallel to the Z-axis direction and the ball 10a facing downward so as to protrude from the first guide surface 81. A hole 54 is formed in the first surface 51 of the second protrusion 5, and the ball 10a fits into the hole 54, thereby fixing the position of the second positioning guide 8 and the second protrusion 5 by the ball plunger 10. In this way, the ball plunger 10 fixes the second protrusion 5 and the second positioning guide 8. The positions of the hole 54 and the ball plunger 10 are determined so that the ball 10a protruding from the ball plunger 10 can be inserted into the hole 54 when the second protrusion 5 is inserted into the second space S2 and the second surface 52 and the second guide surface 82 are approximately abutting.

[0039] In this embodiment, the fixing direction by ball plunger 10 is the Z-axis direction, but it may be a direction parallel to the XY plane (horizontal direction). From the viewpoint of ease of processing for attaching ball plunger 10, it is preferable that the fixing direction by ball plunger 10 be the Z-axis direction (up and down direction).

[0040] Also, holes 84 are provided through the second positioning guide 8 from the top surface to the bottom surface, into which screws (bolts) for fastening the second positioning guide 8 to the base portion 6 are inserted.

[0041] As described above, in this embodiment, an example is given in which the index plunger 9 and the ball plunger 10 are used as the two fixing parts, but both of the two fixing parts may be ball plungers or index plungers. From the viewpoint of visually confirming whether the base part 6 and the holder main body 2A are fixed, it is preferable that at least one of them is an index plunger, which is easy to visually confirm. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of ease of assembly and disassembly, it is more preferable that one is a ball plunger and the other is an index plunger.

[0042] [Differences in the shapes of the first and second positioning guides] As shown in Figure 8, the height dimension h1 (a dimension in the Z-axis direction corresponding to the distance between the placement surface 61 and the first guide surface 71) of the first space S1 into which the first protrusion 4 is inserted is smaller than the height dimension h2 (a dimension in the Z-axis direction corresponding to the distance between the placement surface 61 and the first guide surface 81) of the second space S2 into which the second protrusion 5 is inserted.

[0043] Furthermore, the height dimension (Z-axis dimension corresponding to the distance between the upper surface of the first positioning guide 7 and the arrangement surface 61) of the first positioning guide 7 not including the index plunger 9 is smaller than the height dimension (Z-axis dimension corresponding to the distance between the upper surface of the second positioning guide 8 and the arrangement surface 61) of the second positioning guide 8. By making the heights different and the appearances different in this way, the first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide can be distinguished from each other visually.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6(B), the width 75 of the first space S1 is greater than the width 85 of the second space S2.

[0045] [Auxiliary parts] As shown in FIG. 3 , the auxiliary member 11 is provided at the center of the placement surface 61 of the conveying plate main body 60. The auxiliary member 11 is a member having a ring-shaped shape in a plan view centered on the rotation axis R. During assembly, the auxiliary member 11 fits into a recess 32 provided in the bottom surface 34 of the holder main body 2A (described later). The auxiliary member 11, together with the recess 32, constitutes a centering mechanism as a positioning mechanism. The centering mechanism is a restricting part that restricts the position of the holder main body 2 in a planar direction on the placement surface 61. The auxiliary member 11 is a centering jig. To allow the auxiliary member 11 to rotate relative to the recess 32, there is a play (a slight gap) in a planar direction between the recess 32 and the auxiliary member 11 when fitted. By fitting the auxiliary member 11 into the recess 32, the base part 6 and the holder main body 2A are centered in a planar direction so that the rotation axis of the base part 6 and the central axis of the holder main body 2A are approximately aligned. By providing a center positioning mechanism, the base part 6 and the holder main body 2A do not become misaligned when they rotate relative to each other during assembly, facilitating the assembly work. In this embodiment, an example has been given in which the base part 6 is provided with an auxiliary member 11, in other words, a convex member, protruding from its placement surface 61, and the holder main body 2A is provided with a recess 32 into which the convex member is fitted. However, a convex member may be provided on the holder main body 2A, and a recess into which the convex member is fitted may be provided on the base part 6, and a positioning mechanism can be formed by the convex member and the recess.

[0046] <Configuration of the holder body> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the holder main body 2A has a support portion 3A, a first protrusion 4, and a second protrusion 5. The support portion 3A accommodates and holds an article. The first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 are provided on the bottom portion 31 of the outer surface 35 of the support portion 3A so as to protrude radially outward from the central axis (rotation axis R). The first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 are provided so as to be roughly opposite each other with the central axis (rotation axis R) in between, and are provided at approximately equal intervals along the rotation direction.

[0047] [First protrusion] As shown in FIGS. 2, 6A, and 6B, the first protrusion 4 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape with rounded corners. The first protrusion 4 has a first surface 41 that serves as the top surface, a second surface 42 that serves as a side surface, and a third surface 43 that serves as an end surface. In this embodiment, in the assembled article holder 1A, the first surface 41 is parallel to the placement surface 61, the second surface 42 is approximately parallel to the radial direction, and the third surface 43 is approximately parallel to the rotation direction. The first surface 41 may be provided with a first arrow mark 16 that indicates the rotation direction of the holder main body 2A relative to the base 6 during assembly, facilitating smooth assembly. The first surface 41 also has a hole 44 into which the tip of the pin 92 of the index plunger 9 is inserted.

[0048] [Second protrusion] 2, 6(A) and 6(B), the second protrusion 5 has a first surface 51, a second surface 52 and a third surface 53, similar to the first protrusion 4, and is provided with a second arrow mark 17. In this embodiment, an example in which two arrow marks are provided has been given, but one arrow mark may also be provided. In addition, the first surface 51 is provided with a hole 54 into which the ball 10a of the ball plunger 10 fits.

[0049] [Difference in shape between the first and second protrusions] As shown in Figure 8, the height dimension of the first protrusion 4 inserted into the first space S1 is approximately the same as the height dimension h1 of the first space S1, and the height dimension of the second protrusion 5 inserted into the second space S2 is approximately the same as the height dimension h2 of the second space S2. The height dimension of the first protrusion 4 is smaller than the height dimension of the second protrusion 5. With this configuration, the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 can be distinguished from each other visually. Furthermore, the height dimension of the first space S1 is smaller than the height dimension of the second protrusion 5.

[0050] [Support part] As shown in Figures 2 and 7, the support part 3A that supports an article is cylindrical and has a hollow part 36. The hollow part 36 is in the shape of a cylindrical hole. The support part 3A supports the posture of the article (product 20) and holds the article. The internal shape of the support part (the shape of the hollow part 36) differs depending on the shape of the article to be held (see Figures 11(A) to (D)). The internal shape of the support part 3A is configured to have a shape and size that prevents the article from easily moving in the horizontal direction or up and down relative to the support part 3A when it is stored therein.

[0051] As shown in Figure 7, a generally cylindrical recess 32 is provided on the bottom surface 34 of the support part 3A, centered on the rotation axis R that is recessed upward in the Z-axis direction. When the article holder 1 is assembled, the bottom surface 34 and the placement surface 61 abut against each other. During assembly, the auxiliary member 11 of the base part 6 is fitted into the recess 32, thereby achieving center positioning of the base part 6 and the holder main body 2A in the planar direction so that the rotation axis R of the base part 6 and the central axis of the holder main body 2A approximately coincide with each other. The recess 32 and the auxiliary member 11 form a positioning mechanism (also referred to as a center positioning mechanism) that performs positioning in the planar direction.

[0052] A radial gap is provided between the inner surface 321 that forms the recess 32 and the auxiliary member 11 so that the auxiliary member 11 can rotate relative to the recess 32 within the recess 32 during assembly. The inner surface 321 has an inclined surface 321a at the opening end 37 of the recess 32, whereby the opening of the recess 32 widens in the direction opposite to the direction toward the base part 6 (downward in the figure). The provision of the inclined surface 321a helps the auxiliary member 11 to be fitted into the recess 32 quickly, further facilitating the assembly work.

[0053] In this embodiment, a recess 32 is provided in holder main body 2A, and auxiliary member 11 is fitted into recess 32, so that after assembly, auxiliary member 11 is built into holder main body 2A in article holder 1A, thereby saving space. The fitting precision (play) is preferably about 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 7 , the support member 3A may have a hole 33 that spatially connects the space within the hollow portion 36 and the space within the recess 32. In plan view, the size (opening diameter) of the hole 33 is smaller than the size (opening diameter) of the hollow portion 36. This configuration forms a through-hole that penetrates the article holder 1A in the Z-axis direction. When the article holder 1 is used as a conveyance body of a floating linear conveyance device and an article is inserted into the hollow portion 36 of the support member 3A while the article holder 1 is floating above the conveyance surface, air between the support member 3A and the article can be released through the through-hole to the outside of the article holder 1, allowing the article to be held in the correct position within the article holder 1A. Furthermore, for air release during article insertion, a hole that spatially connects the space within the hollow portion 36 and the space outside the holder main body 2A may be provided on the side of the holder main body 2A. When the surface on which the article holder is placed is the surface of a plate-like member or the surface of a conveyor, this configuration allows for effective air release.

[0055] <Relationship between the first protrusion and the first positioning guide and the second protrusion and the second positioning guide> In this embodiment, the combination of a positioning guide and a protrusion that will form a pair during assembly of the article holder 1A is predetermined. A pair of a first protrusion and a first positioning guide is referred to as a first pair, and a pair of a second protrusion and a second positioning guide is referred to as a second pair.

[0056] In order to prevent assembly errors and thereby hold the container held by the article holder in the correct position, it is preferable to configure the combination of the positioning guide and protrusion that will pair during assembly to be predetermined, as in this embodiment. For example, depending on the shape of the container (article) to be held, there is a need to maintain a consistent orientation of the container shape (i.e., the jig body) relative to the conveying direction of the article holder. Figure 12 shows an example of another article holder 1F. This article holder 1F has the same basic configuration as the above-described article holder 1A, comprising a conveying plate 600F and a holder body 2F. Unlike the article holder 1A, the article holder 1F is configured such that both the first protrusion 4F and the second protrusion 5F of the holder body 2F can be inserted into either the first positioning guide 7F or the second positioning guide 8F, allowing assembly with any combination of protrusions and positioning guides. The container 21F to be held has a cylindrical shape with a substantially semicircular cross section and a side surface consisting of a flat surface 23 and a curved surface. The hollow portion of the support portion 3F is shaped to match the shape of the container 21F to be held. The support portion 3F is shaped so that when the holder body 2F is rotated 180° on the placement surface 61, the opening shape of the support portion 3F in plan view does not match the shape before rotation. As shown in FIG. 12(A), it is assumed that the orientation of the container 21F (that is, the orientation of the holder main body 2F) needs to be aligned so that the flat surface 23 of the container 21F is on the conveyance direction side of the article holder 1F. The article holder 1F can be assembled regardless of the combination of protrusions and positioning guides, and can be assembled by inserting the first protrusion 4F into the second positioning guide 8F and the second protrusion 5F into the first positioning guide 7F, as shown in Figure 12(B). In this case, the orientation of the product 20 (i.e., the orientation of the holder main body 2F) is such that the flat surface 23 faces in the opposite direction to the conveyance direction of the article holder 1F. Therefore, if the orientation of the container needs to be constant relative to the conveyance direction of the article holder, the assembly shown in Figure 12(B) will result in an assembly error.

[0057] In this embodiment, to prevent the occurrence of assembly errors, the pairs of positioning guides and protrusions that will be paired during assembly are predetermined. In this embodiment, the protrusions and positioning guides belonging to at least one of the multiple pairs are configured to be visually distinguishable from the protrusions and positioning guides belonging to the other pairs (Configuration 1), a configuration in which physical assembly is possible only when the combination is correct (Configuration 2), and a configuration in which the appearance of the holder body makes it clear at a glance that the assembly is incorrect when assembled in an incorrect position (Configuration 3). It is preferable to adopt at least one of Configurations 1 to 3. By adopting such a configuration, the occurrence of assembly errors can be prevented and the holder body can be assembled in the correct position relative to the conveyance direction. When containers are transported using such an article holder, the orientation of the containers can be kept constant relative to the conveyance direction, and the containers can be positioned so that they are correctly oriented in the work area, preventing the occurrence of work defects, etc. From the viewpoint of preventing assembly errors, when assembling a holder body to a base part, the opening shape of the support part in a plan view when rotated 180° on the placement surface does not match the shape before rotation, it is preferable to adopt at least one of the above configurations 1 to 3.

[0058] The above-mentioned configuration 1 will be described. As described above, the height dimension of the first positioning guide 7 is smaller than the height dimension of the second positioning guide 8, making them visually distinguishable. Furthermore, the height dimension of the first protrusion 4 is smaller than the width dimension of the second protrusion 5, making them visually distinguishable. Therefore, during assembly, it is possible to recognize at a glance that the first positioning guide 7 and the first protrusion 4, both of which are tall, form a pair (first pair), and the second positioning guide 8 and the second protrusion 5, both of which are short, form a pair (second pair). As a result, during assembly, the holder body 2 can be placed in the removable region 12 of the base 6 in the correct position, allowing for quick assembly work without assembly errors.

[0059] In this embodiment, as an example of a method of visually distinguishing the first and second protrusions 4 and 5, and the first and second positioning guides 7 and 8, the shapes of the positioning guides and protrusions are changed, specifically, by changing their heights. Additionally or alternatively, a visually distinguishable mark (e.g., a picture, a letter, or a number) may be used as the visually distinguishing method. For example, a printed mark "A" may be applied to the top surfaces of the positioning guide and protrusion that constitute the first pair, and a printed mark "B" may be applied to the top surfaces of the positioning guide and protrusion that constitute the second pair. This makes the two positioning guides and the two protrusions distinguishable from each other. Furthermore, by pairing the positioning guides and protrusions that bear the mark "A," it is possible to easily identify the paired positioning guides and protrusions, thereby speeding up the assembly process. Alternatively, a visually distinguishable mark may be applied to only one of the positioning guides and protrusions in a plurality of pairs. In this case, it is only necessary to position the holder body 2A on the placement surface 61 so that the positioning guide with the same mark will be located where the protrusion with the mark is moved clockwise or counterclockwise, and the assembly work can be carried out quickly without any assembly errors.

[0060] In this way, by configuring the protrusions and positioning guides belonging to at least one of the multiple sets so that they are visually distinguishable from the protrusions and positioning guides belonging to other sets (Configuration 1), it is easy to see from the outside which positioning guides are paired with which protrusions.

[0061] The above-mentioned configuration 2 will be described. In this embodiment, as described above, the height dimension h1 of the first space S1 of the first positioning guide 7, into which the first protrusion 4 is inserted, is smaller than the height dimension h2 of the second space S2 of the second positioning guide 8, into which the second protrusion 5 is inserted. The height dimension of the first protrusion 4 is also smaller than the width dimension of the second protrusion 5. Both the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 have lower surfaces that abut against the placement surface 61 when the holder main body 2A is placed on the base 6. The first positioning guide 7 is provided with a first space S1 having a height dimension h1 that is larger by an amount of play than the height dimension of the first protrusion 4 (a dimension in the Z-axis direction that corresponds to the distance between the upper and lower surfaces). The second positioning guide 8 is provided with a second space S2 having a height dimension h2 that is larger by an amount of play than the height dimension of the second protrusion 5 (a dimension in the Z-axis direction that corresponds to the distance between the upper and lower surfaces). The height dimension of the second protrusion 5 is larger than the height dimension of the first space S1. Therefore, if, during assembly, the holder main body 2 is mistakenly placed on the base part 6 in such a positional relationship that the second protrusion 5 is inserted into the first space S1, even if the holder main body 2 is rotated relative to the base part 6, the second protrusion 5 will not be able to be inserted into the first space S1 because the height will not match, and the first positioning guide 7 and the second positioning guide 8 will not be able to regulate the position of the non-corresponding protrusion in the extension direction of the rotation axis R, and assembly is only possible when the combination of the paired protrusion and positioning guide is correct. In this way, by configuring the protrusion and positioning guide so that assembly is physically impossible when the combination is incorrect, and assembly is only physically possible when the combination is correct (Configuration 2), it is possible to prevent assembly errors from occurring.

[0062] In this embodiment, both the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 have a lower surface that abuts against the placement surface 61, but this is not limiting. For example, when the holder main body is placed on the base, one protrusion may have a lower surface that abuts against the placement surface, and the other protrusion may have a lower surface that is spaced apart from the placement surface. In other words, the bottom surfaces of the first protrusion and the second protrusion may be positioned at different positions in the Z-axis direction. The heights of the two protrusions may be the same or different. Even in this case, the first positioning guide may have a first space into which the first protrusion is inserted, the height dimension of which is greater than the height dimension of the first protrusion by an amount corresponding to play, and the second positioning guide may have a second space into which the second protrusion is inserted, the height dimension of which is greater than the height dimension of the second protrusion by an amount corresponding to play. The space into which the protrusion, whose lower surface is spaced apart from the mounting surface, is inserted can be formed as a recess provided on the side surface of the corresponding positioning guide, and the recess has an inner surface against which the bottom surface of the protrusion, which is spaced apart from the mounting surface, substantially abuts, so that the mounting surface does not contribute to the formation of the recess (space). Even in this configuration, physical assembly is only possible when the combination of the protrusion and the positioning guide is correct, thereby preventing assembly errors.

[0063] Furthermore, the configuration that allows physical assembly only when the combination of the protrusions and the positioning guides is correct is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the lengths of the two protrusions along the radial direction from the end face (third surface) of the protrusions to the rotation axis may be different, and the lengths of the two positioning guides along the radial direction from the third guide surface to the rotation axis may be different. With this configuration, even if the height dimensions of the two protrusions and the height dimensions of the spaces of the two positioning guides are the same, protrusions that do not correspond to the spaces of the positioning guides cannot be inserted, and the two positioning guides cannot restrict the positions of the protrusions that do not correspond to the spaces of the positioning guides in the extension direction of the rotation axis R.

[0064] The above-mentioned configuration 3 will now be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the width w1 of the first protrusion 4 is wider than the width w2 of the second protrusion 5. The width w1 of the first protrusion 4 is approximately the same as the width 75 of the first space S1 of the first positioning guide 7, and the width w2 of the second protrusion 5 is approximately the same as the width 85 of the second space S2 of the second positioning guide 8. Therefore, when fixed, as shown in Fig. 6(A), in a plan view, the tip portion of the first protrusion 4 is covered by the first positioning guide 7, and the tip portion of the second protrusion 5 is covered by the second positioning guide 8, so that the tip portions of each protrusion cannot be recognized.

[0065] If the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 have the same height and are configured so that both the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 can be inserted into the first space S1 and the second space S2, it is preferable to make the width w1 of the first protrusion 4 larger than the width 85 of the second space S2, as in this embodiment. With this configuration, even if the first protrusion 4 is mistakenly inserted into the second space S2 during assembly, the tip of the first protrusion 4 protrudes from the second positioning guide 8 in a plan view, so it is possible to immediately determine that it has been assembled in an incorrect position. In this way, the sizes of the protrusions and spaces may be changed for each set, so that when the set is assembled in an incorrect position, it is clear at a glance that the assembly is incorrect (Configuration 3).

[0066] In this embodiment, in article holder 1A, the combination of the positioning guide and the protrusion that will be paired during assembly is predetermined, but it may also be configured so that it is not predetermined, as in article holder 1F shown in Fig. 12. With such a configuration, there is no need to check the placement position of the protrusion when placing holder main body 2 on base part 6 during assembly.

[0067] In the present embodiment, article holder 1A is provided with a centering mechanism constituted by auxiliary member 11 and recess 32, and third guide surfaces 73 and 83, as a restricting section that restricts the position of holder main body 2A in the planar direction on placement surface 61, but a configuration in which only the centering mechanism is provided without the third guide surface may also be provided. Also, only third guide surfaces 73 and 83 may be provided without the centering mechanism. From the viewpoint of further improving the positioning accuracy in the planar direction between the base part 6 and the holder main body 2A, it is preferable to provide at least a center positioning mechanism, and it is more preferable to provide both a center positioning mechanism and a third guide surface. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which no restricting portion for restricting the position in the planar direction is provided.

[0068] <How to assemble and disassemble the article holder> 9, a method for assembling and disassembling the above-mentioned article holder 1A will be described. Assembly and disassembly may be performed manually or automatically. When performed automatically, one of the conveying plate 600 including the holder main body 2A and the base portion 6 is grasped by, for example, a robot, and the other is rotated (spinned) about the rotation axis R, thereby assembling the holder main body 2 to the base portion 6 (assembly) or removing the holder main body 2 from the base portion 6 (disassembly). When performing assembly and disassembly automatically, for example, a floating linear conveying device, which will be described later as an application example, may be used. Hereinafter, the assembly and disassembly methods will be described with reference to FIG. 9, along with the effects achieved by configuring the article holder as described above.

[0069] [Assembly method] As shown in Figures 9(A) and 9(B), the holder main body 2A is moved in the Z-axis direction and placed on the placement surface 61 of the base 6. The holder main body 2A is placed on the placement surface 61 of the base 6 so that, based on the combination of the protrusions and the positioning guides determined from the heights of the protrusions and the positioning guides, the first positioning guide 7 is positioned at the end of the arrow direction of the first arrow mark 16 on the first protrusion 4, the second positioning guide 8 is positioned at the end of the arrow direction of the second arrow mark 17 on the second protrusion 5, and the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 are positioned in the removable area 12. At this time, the auxiliary member 11 is fitted into the recess 32 of the holder main body 2A to position it in the planar direction. In this embodiment, in addition to the centering mechanism, the radial position can be adjusted by the third guide surfaces 73 and 83. Next, the knob 91 of the index plunger 9 is pulled up to retract the pin 92, and the knob 91 is rotated to maintain this state and fix the position of the pin 92. The holder body 2A may be moved in the Z-axis direction onto the placement surface 61 of the base 6, and the knob 91 may be pulled up to retract the pin 92 of the index plunger 9 before placement.

[0070] Next, as shown in Figure 9(C), the holder body 2A is rotated clockwise around the rotation axis R relative to the base portion 6 in accordance with the arrow directions of the arrow marks 16 and 17, and the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 are moved from the removable area 12 to the non-removable area 13 and inserted into the first space S1 and the second space S2.

[0071] During insertion, the first surfaces 41 and 51 approximately abut against the first guide surfaces 71 and 81, respectively, and the first guide surfaces 71 and 81 regulate the position of the protrusions 4 and 5 in the extension direction of the rotation axis R, thereby positioning the holder main body 2A relative to the base portion 6 in the extension direction of the rotation axis R (Z-axis direction, up and down direction). Furthermore, during insertion, the third surfaces 43 and 53 approximately abut against the third guide surfaces 73 and 83, respectively, and the radial positions of the protrusions 4 and 5 are regulated by the third guide surfaces 73 and 83, thereby radially positioning the holder main body 2A relative to the base portion 6.

[0072] As the rotation continues, the second surfaces 42 and 52 of the protrusion 4 come into approximate contact with the second guide surfaces 72 and 82, which restrict the clockwise rotational movement of the protrusion 4 and, ultimately, its position.

[0073] With the pin 92 of the index plunger 9 retracted, the base portion 6 and the holder body 2 are rotated relative to each other until the second surface 42 substantially abuts the second guide surface 72. When the position of the first protrusion 4 in the clockwise rotation direction is restricted by the second guide surface 72, the knob 91 of the index plunger 9 is rotated to release the pulled-up state (state in which the pin 92 is retracted), causing the pin 92 to protrude, and the pin 92 is inserted into the hole 44, and the knob 91 is rotated to fix the position of the pin 92. Furthermore, when the second protrusion 5 is inserted into the second space S2, a lateral load is applied to the ball 10a of the ball plunger 10 due to the movement of the second protrusion 5, causing the ball 10a to sink into the ball plunger body. When the second protrusion 5 moves until the second surface 52 substantially abuts the second guide surface 82, the hole 54 is positioned below the ball 10a, the load applied to the ball 10a is released, and the ball 10a protrudes from the ball plunger body and fits into the hole 54.

[0074] In this way, the base part 6 and the holder main body 2A are positioned in planar directions including the vertical, radial and rotational directions by the protrusions, positioning guides and center positioning mechanism, and then fixed together with two fixing parts (index plunger 9 and ball plunger 10), thereby assembling the article holder 1A.

[0075] In the article holder 1A of this embodiment, positioning guides 7 and 8 are provided having spaces 1S and 2S into which the protrusions 4 and 5 are inserted, and the positioning guides 7 and 8 have first guide surfaces 71 and 81 and second guide surfaces 72 and 82, so that assembly can be performed while positioning in the vertical and rotational directions, and the holder main body 2A and the base portion 6 can be easily assembled.

[0076] Furthermore, in the article holder 1A, the tip portion of the first protrusion 4 (second protrusion 5) of the holder main body 2A is positioned within the first space S1 (second space S2), and the tip portion is held in a state where it is covered by the first positioning guide 7 (second positioning guide 8). Therefore, even if an impact is applied to article holder 1A, first guide surfaces 71 and 81 restrict vertical (Z-axis) movement of protrusions 4 and 5, and second guide surfaces 72 and 82 restrict rotational movement of protrusions 4 and 5, restricting vertical and rotational movement of holder main body 2A relative to base 6. This maintains the vertical and rotational positions of base 6 and holder main body 2A after assembly. When such an article holder 1A is used, for example, as a carrier that holds and transports articles, the holder body 2A is prevented from shifting in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction) and rotational direction relative to the base portion 6 due to collisions between article holders or vibrations during transportation.

[0077] The article holder may also include a center positioning mechanism and / or a third guide surface that regulates its position in the planar direction. By providing a centering mechanism as in article holder 1A of this embodiment, base part 6 and holder main body 2A do not become misaligned in the plane during assembly, making the assembly process easier. Furthermore, since the centering mechanism has a configuration in which auxiliary member 11 of base part 6 is built into recess 32 of holder main body 2A, even if an impact is applied to article holder 1A after assembly, holder main body 2A is less likely to become misaligned in the plane relative to base part 6, and the plane positions of base part 6 and holder main body 2A after assembly are more effectively maintained. By providing a third guide surface as in article holder 1A of this embodiment, assembly can be performed while positioning in the radial direction in addition to the vertical and rotational directions, making it even easier to assemble holder main body 2A and base part 6. Furthermore, even if an impact is applied to article holder 1A after assembly, holder main body 2A is less likely to shift radially relative to base part 6, making it possible to more effectively maintain the planar positions of base part 6 and holder main body 2A after assembly.

[0078] Furthermore, in the article holder 1A, the base portion 6 and the holder main body 2A are fixed in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) by fixing parts (index plunger 9 and ball plunger 10), which further suppresses deviation of the holder main body 2A relative to the base portion 6 in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction) and in the planar direction.

[0079] [Disassembly method] 1, the knob 91 of the index plunger 9 of the assembled article holder 1 is pulled up to retract the pin 92, and then the knob 91 is rotated to maintain this state and fix the position of the knob 91. This releases the fixation of the base part 6 and the holder main body 2A by the index plunger 9.

[0080] Next, one of the base portion 6 and the holder main body 2A is fixed, and the other is rotated around the rotation axis R. The holder main body 2A rotates counterclockwise relative to the base portion 6. As a result, the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5, which were in the non-removable area 13, move to the removable area 12. At this time, a lateral load is applied to the ball 10a of the ball plunger 10 due to the movement of the second protrusion 5, and the ball 10a is released from the hole 54. Thereafter, the first surface 51 of the second protrusion 5 causes the ball 10a to sink into the ball plunger main body, and the fixation by the ball plunger 10 is released.

[0081] After the first protrusion 4 and the second protrusion 5 have moved to the removable area 12, the holder main body 2A is lifted in the Z-axis direction and separated from the base part 6, and the holder main body 2A is removed from the base part 6.

[0082] <Additional explanation of other examples of item holders> As shown in FIGS. 11A to 11E, the internal shape of the support portion 3 of the holder main body 2 of the article holder 1 varies depending on the shape of the article to be held. All of the article holders 1A to 1E can be constructed using a conveying plate 600 having the same base portion 6. All of the holder main bodies 2A to 2E have the same shaped first protrusions 4 and second protrusions 5, and the combination of the positioning guides and protrusions that will pair when assembled is predetermined for all of the article holders 1A to 1E. All of the article holders 1A to 1E are also constructed so that the base and the holder main body are fixed using the same fixing parts (index plunger 9 and ball plunger 10). Although not shown, the bottom surfaces of the holder main bodies 2B to 2E are provided with recesses into which the auxiliary members 11 of the base portion 6 are fitted, just like the holder main body 2A.

[0083] In the outer shapes of the support members 3A to 3D of the article holders 1A to 1D, the bottoms of the support members 3A to 3D protrude outward around the entire circumference more than the other parts of the support members 3A to 3D, and protrusions 4 and 5 are also formed. This configuration makes it possible to reduce the thickness of the parts other than the bottoms, thereby enabling weight reduction and material savings while still ensuring strength. Note that the outer surfaces of the support members 3A to 3D do not have to be shaped to have a step between the bottoms and other parts, and the outer surfaces may be shaped to have no step, as in the support member 3E of the holder main body 2E of the article holder 1E shown in Figure 11(E).

[0084] <Application example> The above-described article holder 1 may be used as a carrier transported by a floating linear transport device (hereinafter referred to as "transport device"). The transport device is a floating linear transport device that uses magnetic levitation linear transport technology to levitate an object (an article holder in this embodiment) in the air using magnetic force. The transport device has a transport stage, a plurality of article holders 1 as carriers, and a control device.

[0085] The transport stage having the transport surface is configured by combining one or more segments, each of which is supplied with electric power to generate a magnetic force. The transport stage may also be one that generates a magnetic force without relying on electric power.

[0086] The conveying plate 600 having the base portion 6 of the article holder 1 is provided with a plurality of magnets (permanent magnets) inside the conveying plate main body 60. The conveying stage generates a magnetic force, and through interaction with the plurality of magnets, the article holder 1 is levitated from the conveying stage and moved on the conveying stage. The conveying path of the article holder 1 is controlled by a control circuit. The conveying stage may move the article holder 1 by changing the strength or polarity of the magnetic force generated by the stage, or a combination of these.

[0087] The article holder 1 floats in a direction normal to the conveying surface of the conveying stage. Typically, the article holder 1 floats above the conveying surface so that the conveying plate 600 is horizontal, but it is also possible to tilt the conveying plate 600 relative to the horizontal direction. In the article holder 1 of this embodiment, as described above, the positioning guides 7 and 8 prevent the holder main body 2 from shifting position relative to the conveying plate 600. Therefore, even if the conveying plate 600 is tilted, the holder main body 2 is unlikely to shift position relative to the conveying plate 600. Furthermore, because the article is supported by the cylindrical support portion 3, it is possible to effectively prevent the article from shifting on the article holder 1.

[0088] By floating the article holder 1 above the conveying surface and tilting the conveying plate 600 relative to the horizontal direction, the posture of the held article can be changed. For example, when a container held by the article holder 1 is transported by a transport device to a filling operation area where contents are filled into the container through a filling port, and the container is filled while still held by the article holder 1, the container can be tilted diagonally to adjust the orientation of the filling port to be slightly oblique to the vertical, depending on the shape and orientation of the filling nozzle. Also, while each of the products 20B-20D shown in FIGS. 11(A)-(D) has a filling port oriented vertically when held by the article holder, the article holder 1 may also hold a product whose filling port is positioned near the top corner of the container and is oriented obliquely to the vertical. In the filling operation of such a product, tilting the article holder 1 allows the filling port of the held item to be oriented vertically, and the filling nozzle can be inserted vertically into the filling port to fill the contents.

[0089] Furthermore, when the article holder is used as a conveying body of a floating linear transport device and is made to float, it is preferable to provide multiple pairs of positioning guides and protrusions, as in the article holder of this embodiment, and to provide the multiple pairs at approximately equal intervals along the rotation direction. With this configuration, the center of gravity of the article holder can be made to approximately coincide with the center of the article holder when viewed in a plane, making it easier to transport articles in a stable posture. Furthermore, for example, when a conveying device is used to attach a lid to a filling port of a container filled with contents and tighten the lid, the lid can be tightened by fixing its horizontal position and moving it downward while rotating (spinning) the article holder holding the container. In this way, when the article holder is rotated (spinned) while floating without changing the horizontal position of the rotation axis, more stable rotation is possible by roughly aligning the center of gravity of the article holder with the rotation axis of the article holder, which in turn allows for stable tightening of the lid without causing defects. Furthermore, if the masses of each group are different, the center of gravity of the article holder may be roughly aligned with the rotation axis by fine-tuning the distance from the rotation axis R to the group and / or the spacing in the rotation direction.

[0090] By using the article holder 1 of the present invention as a transport body in this manner, it becomes easy to adjust the position of the article held and transported by the article holder 1 so that it is at the desired position at the destination (work area).

[0091] [Method of assembling and disassembling an article holder using a floating linear transport device] The assembly and disassembly of the article holder may be performed automatically using a floating linear transport device, in which the transport plate 600 equipped with a magnet can be rotated (spinned) while floating, without changing its position in the plane of the rotation axis. For example, in assembling the article holder 1, only the conveying plate 600 without the holder main body 2 placed thereon is float-transported to the assembly work area, and in the assembly work area, the holder main body 2 held by a robot hand is placed on the placement surface 61 of the conveying plate 600, and the floating conveying plate 600 with the holder main body 2 fixed by the robot hand is rotated counterclockwise (spins on its own axis) to change from an unfixed state to a fixed state, and the holder main body 2 can be assembled to the conveying plate 600. On the other hand, when disassembling the item holder 1, the item holder 1 is transported by floating to the disassembly work area, and in the disassembly work area, the holder main body 2 is grasped by a robot hand and, while its position is fixed, the floating conveying plate 600 is rotated clockwise (spins on its axis) to change from a fixed state to an unfixed state, and the holder main body 2 is separated from the conveying plate 600 and can be disassembled.

[0092] Furthermore, when assembling and disassembling, the knob 91 of the index plunger 9 is raised and lowered, and the knob 91 may be raised and lowered by a robot hand.

[0093] Here, an example has been given in which the conveying plate 600 is rotated (spinned) to assemble and disassemble, but assembly and disassembly can also be performed by fixing the position of the conveying plate 600 and controlling the robot hand that grips the holder body 2 to rotate the holder body 2, or by combining the rotation (spinning) of the conveying plate 600 and the rotation of the holder body controlled by the robot hand.

[0094] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0095] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the support portion that primarily supports a rigid container and a product using the container is a cylindrical support portion having a hollow portion, but the shape of the support portion is not limited to this. For example, a support portion that supports a container made of a flexible material such as a pouch may be configured to support only both sides of the pouch. Even in such a configuration, protrusions (e.g., first protrusion 4, second protrusion 5) that protrude outward from the support portion may be provided. By supporting only both sides of the pouch with support portions, the container (pouch) can change shape by expanding without interference from the support portions, even when filled with contents.

[0096] Furthermore, in the above example, the filling port used when filling the contents of the product is used as the outlet for discharging the contents when the product is in use, but this is not limited to this, and the product may have a filling port and an outlet that are separate. For example, in the manufacture of a corner spout product having a spout (pouring port) that is oriented obliquely relative to the vertical near the corner of the top of the container, an opening in the unsealed part may be provided in the top of the container (pouch) and used as the filling port, and the product may be manufactured by sealing the opening in the unsealed part after filling. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1, 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E...Object holder 2, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 2E...Holder body 3, 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E...Support part 31...bottom 32...Concave portion (constituting the restricting portion together with the auxiliary member) 4...First protrusion (protrusion) 5…Second protrusion (protrusion) 6...Base 7...First positioning guide (fixing member, positioning guide) 71...First guide surface 72...Second guide surface 73...Third guide surface (restriction part) 8...Second positioning guide (fixing member, positioning guide) 81...First guide surface 82...Second guide surface 83...Third guide surface (restriction part) 11...Auxiliary member (together with the recess, constituting the restricting portion) 12...Removable area 13...Non-removable area 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D…Products (articles) 21, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21F…Container (article) 61...Placement surface (top surface) C...Imaginary circle R...Rotation axis S1…first space (space) S2…Second space (space)

Claims

1. An article holder comprising: a base portion having a placement surface and a fixing member provided on the placement surface; and a holder main body placed on the placement surface, a restricting portion that restricts the position of the holder body in a planar direction on the placement surface, The fixing member is composed of at least two positioning guides, The holder body is a support portion that supports an article; protrusions, each corresponding to one of the positioning guides, protruding radially outward from a central axis at a bottom of the support; and the central axis is aligned with a rotation axis set perpendicular to the placement surface, and the holder main body is placed on the placement surface, and the holder main body and the base part are rotated relative to each other around the rotation axis, thereby enabling assembly of the holder main body to the base part and disassembly of the holder main body to be removed from the base part, The positioning guide is a first guide surface that regulates the position of the protrusion in the direction in which the rotation shaft extends during assembly; a second guide surface that regulates the position of the protrusion in the relative rotation direction during assembly; a space into which the corresponding protrusion can be inserted, the spaces of the positioning guides are provided on the circumference of a virtual circle having the rotation axis as its center, the base portion has a non-removable region in which movement of the protrusion in the extension direction of the rotation shaft is restricted by the first guide surface and a removable region in which movement of the protrusion in the extension direction of the rotation shaft is not restricted by the first guide surface, the holder body is configured to be movable between the non-removable region and the removable region by the relative rotation, the holder body has a recess on its bottom surface, the recess being centered on the central axis; the base portion has an auxiliary member that protrudes from the placement surface, fits into the recess during assembly, and configures a positioning mechanism together with the recess; The restriction portion includes the positioning mechanism. Article holder.

2. the positioning guide includes a third guide surface that regulates a position of the protrusion in a radial direction of the virtual circle and forms the space together with the first guide surface and the second guide surface, The restriction portion includes the third guide surface. The article holder according to claim 1.

3. An article holder comprising: a base portion having a placement surface and a fixing member provided on the placement surface; and a holder body placed on the placement surface, The fixing member is composed of at least two positioning guides, The holder body is a support portion that supports an article; protrusions, each corresponding to one of the positioning guides, protruding radially outward from a central axis at a bottom of the support; and the central axis is aligned with a rotation axis set perpendicular to the placement surface, and the holder main body is placed on the placement surface, and the holder main body and the base part are rotated relative to each other around the rotation axis, thereby enabling assembly of the holder main body to the base part and disassembly of the holder main body to be removed from the base part, The positioning guide is a first guide surface that regulates the position of the protrusion in the direction in which the rotation shaft extends during assembly; a second guide surface that regulates the position of the protrusion in the relative rotation direction during assembly; a space into which the corresponding protrusion can be inserted, the spaces of the positioning guides are provided on the circumference of a virtual circle having the rotation axis as its center, the base portion has a non-removable region in which movement of the protrusion in the extension direction of the rotation shaft is restricted by the first guide surface and a removable region in which movement of the protrusion in the extension direction of the rotation shaft is not restricted by the first guide surface, the holder body is configured to be movable between the non-removable region and the removable region by the relative rotation, the base portion has a first positioning guide and a second positioning guide as the positioning guides, the holder body has, as the protrusions, a first protrusion and a second protrusion corresponding to the first positioning guide and the second positioning guide, respectively; the first positioning guide regulates the position of the first protrusion in the extension direction of the rotation shaft, and the second positioning guide regulates the position of the second protrusion in the extension direction of the rotation shaft, The first positioning guide and the second positioning guide cannot regulate the position of the non-corresponding protrusion in the extension direction of the rotation shaft. Article holder.

4. Further comprising a regulating portion that regulates the position of the holder body in a planar direction on the placement surface. The article holder according to claim 3.

5. the positioning guide includes a third guide surface that regulates a position of the protrusion in a radial direction of the virtual circle and forms the space together with the first guide surface and the second guide surface, The restriction portion includes the third guide surface.

5. The article holder according to claim 4.

6. The corresponding positioning guides and the corresponding protrusions are provided at equal intervals along the relative rotation direction. The article holder according to claim 1 or 3.

7. The placement surface is an upper surface of a conveying plate body constituting the floating linear conveying device. The article holder according to claim 1 or 3.

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